Park Benches
by ThreeRainyDays
Summary: Park benches were the perfect place to meet beautiful girls. That's what Inigo decided as he saw such a girl seated upon the bench before him. Robin/Inigo AU. Upgraded to a chaptered story!
1. Park Benches

_Inspired by a real-life conversation a friend had with a little boy on a bench. Inigo just so happened to fit the role perfectly._

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**Park Benches**

Park benches were the perfect place to meet beautiful girls. That's what Inigo decided as he saw such a girl seated upon the bench before him. This park bench was perfectly ordinary of course, but this was no ordinary girl. Sure, he hadn't planned on passing this way (in truth, he was in the midst of a daring escape from his mother), but it seemed that fortune smiled upon him today. He hastily smoothed back his hair and checked his appearance in a puddle before making his approach.

Robin felt the bench shift a little beneath her. Through her peripheral vision she could make out the figure of a little boy hopping up to sit on the other end. His pale, white hair ruffled slightly as he comfortably seated himself. He couldn't have been more than seven or eight years old, and looked especially adorable trying to brush his bangs out of his eyes. She returned to her book and would have kept reading had she not heard a quiet, "Pssst." Securing her place with a bookmark, she closed the novel and looked up questioningly.

Inigo smiled in what he hoped was a charming manner. "Helloooooo," he said as he slid halfway across the bench.

She laughed a little. To himself, he thought, "Nailed it." With a polite smile, she said, "Hello there."

He practically beamed. "You're pretty," he said. He placed his hand on top of hers, much to her surprise. Still smiling, he added, "I like that."

She stared at him, speechless. A little boy was hitting on her. She would have laughed again if he didn't look so innocently serious.

Just as she was wondering how to respond, a woman with pink hair came running up to them. "Inigo, there you are! You can't just run away from mommy," she said. His mother noticed Robin and seemed to take in the situation with Inigo sitting especially close to her. She bowed apologetically and said, "I'm sorry he bothered you, my son is…"

She glanced at him, and seemed to be at a loss for how to explain his behavior. Robin sympathized. "Well, never mind. Excuse me." Turning back to Inigo, she said, "Leave the poor girl alone, it's time to go."

Inigo shook his head. With a bright smile, he said, "No Mommy, this is my new girlfriend!"

Inigo swung his feet from atop the bench, grinning happily at Robin in a lovesick sort of way. Robin shared a stunned look of bewilderment with the boy's mother, who sighed like she was used to dealing with this sort of thing. His mother took his hand and started to pull him away from the bench in a gentle but firm manner. "Well, say goodbye to your girlfriend, we have to go home."

Inigo looked over his shoulder and reached out his hand in a gesture of farewell. "I will find you again, my love!"

His mother smiled a little as Robin half-waved back in amusement. She opened her book again, allowing a small chuckle to escape.


	2. Shopping Malls

_NOT A ONESHOT ANYMORE!_

_Due to a certain review and my own desire to continue writing this, Park Benches has been upgraded from a oneshot to an ongoing chaptered story! I initially had plans for a full-blown story from the get-go, but I hesitated because the first part I wrote seemed to stand alone well enough as a oneshot. And yet, here we are again, and I'm happy to say that we can watch Robin and Inigo develop more as the story progresses. So without further ado, I present to you the continuation of Park Benches!_

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**Shopping Malls**

Shopping malls were another perfect place to meet beautiful girls. That's what Inigo decided as he saw the same girl he'd met in the park last time. He was at the supermarket with his mother when he noticed her out of the corner of his eye. She wore the same black and purple hoodie from before, and it was this that allowed Inigo to identify her almost immediately upon sight. She was even more stunning than he remembered. Her white hair swayed gently as she walked, her eyes set in a look of concentration as she examined the products on display.

This was another purely coincidental chance encounter, but he was convinced that it was the work of fate. After they were forced to part ways two weeks ago, he'd eagerly awaited the moment when their paths would cross again. This was no ordinary meeting. Something much larger was at play here. Destiny.

His mother was inspecting the apples in the fresh fruit section of the supermarket while he dutifully followed behind. While she was preoccupied with grocery shopping, he saw his chance to escape (yet again). And so he left his mother's side and skipped down the aisle toward the love of his life.

Robin was in the middle of browsing the produce aisle, her thoughts completely focused on what to cook for dinner. The tomatoes were on sale for the weekend, and she saw a few good-looking ones near the bottom of the pile. Never just take from the top, she had learned. Check underneath and behind the ones in front, because that's where the hidden gems are. She ran her hand over the fruits, checking for blemishes and weighing them experimentally in the palm of her hand. She had decided on three of them when she caught sight of something interesting in the meat section.

"Special item: bear meat?" She read the label out loud. "You don't see that every day."

She was about to walk away, but curiosity got the better of her and she took one of the bear meat packages for her basket. Just as she was about to go pay, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. When she turned around, there was no one there. Robin was ready to excuse it as her imagination, but then she heard someone clear their throat. She looked down and saw a little boy.

Correction: the little boy. The same little boy that she'd encountered in the park a few weeks ago. His arm was still outstretched from reaching up to touch her shoulder, and he grinned sheepishly as he lowered it to wave hello.

"Hello," he said. "How are you today?"

"I'm doing alright," she said with a smile. "Didn't I meet you before?"

He nodded eagerly. She remembered! This was definitely a good sign. "Yup! At the park," he said.

"I haven't forgotten," she said. The events of last time flashed through her mind, including everything from his attempt to hit on her, his mother coming to get him, and him calling her his girlfriend all in less than five minutes. In short, this little boy had made quite the impression and Robin had hardly forgotten that memorable experience. "You never told me your name."

"Inigo," he answered with a wink. "What's yours?"

"Robin," she said. She glanced up and down the aisle, but they were the only ones there. "Is your mother here, Inigo?"

He smiled in a mischievous way that made Robin chuckle, at which she mentally reprimanded herself. This was serious, she told herself, and she couldn't just let him wander around when his mother was probably looking for him. Still, she thought, when he was so obviously unconcerned and happy, she doubted it would hurt if she talked to him for a little longer. And as she clearly recalled, it seemed like his mother was, unfortunately, more than used to his antics.

"She's here. I was helping her shop," he said in a conversational way. He half-stepped, half-slid across the tile floor to get closer to her. In a soft voice, as if he was sharing a secret, he said, "But I'd much rather talk to you."

He did all this so casually, and for perhaps the hundredth time, Robin wondered how a child so young learned these types of things. Kids were growing up way too fast these days. "That's sweet of you," she said. "Although I think maybe you should get back before she notices you're gone. She must be worried –"

"Inigo!"

Before she could finish that statement, Inigo's mother rounded the corner and called his name. They both froze and turned to look at her as if in slow-motion. His mother made eye contact with him from all the way on the other side of the aisle. Upon seeing her son, she hurried towards them, shopping basket swinging from her arm.

"There you are," she said, placing her hand firmly on his shoulder to keep him from going anywhere. "Honestly, you really can't be running away like this all the time, you're too old for this sort of thing." She let out a long breath, closing her eyes momentarily. More quietly, she muttered, "I'm too old for this sort of thing."

"I think you're still young and beautiful," Inigo piped up.

His mother let out a half-chuckle, but looked at him in a stern way that told him to save the flattery. She noticed Robin and seemed to recognize her as the same girl from last time. She bowed apologetically and said, "I'm sorry this happened again. You must think I'm such a bad mother."

"Not at all," Robin said immediately. "I'm actually impressed with how quickly you're able to track him down every time."

Inigo's mother laughed a little, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Well, I've had to learn fast with a son like him," she said. "Thank you for making sure he didn't get himself into trouble."

"I'm still here," Inigo said loudly.

"Yes, I know," his mother said as she ran a hand through his hair affectionately. Turning her attention back to Robin, she said, "Anyway, thank you. I've met you twice now, and it would be rude at this point not to introduce myself. I'm Olivia."

"I'm Robin," she said and extended her hand to shake Olivia's. "And really, I didn't do much other than talk to him."

"Still, you kept him occupied," she insisted. She glanced down at Inigo, who had been beaming up at Robin for most of the conversation. "I can see he likes you a lot."

Robin laughed. "Yes, he's quite the charmer. Has he always been so…?"

"He's actually quite a shy boy," Olivia explained. "He was so timid when he started school, too. I felt partly responsible because I'm just as shy as he is. I thought maybe if he learned to talk to girls he'd be able to interact with the other children better. But then he took it to an extreme and now, well, I sort of regret encouraging it in hindsight. I never stop worrying about the trouble and confusion he must be causing by being so flirtatious. But I suppose the bright side is that at least he's more social now."

"I see," Robin said. "That explains a lot."

Inigo hadn't really been listening to the conversation. He knew they were talking about him, but all he cared about was that he'd have to say goodbye to Robin soon. What if destiny wasn't so kind to him after this and he never got to see his beloved again? Sure, he'd found her this time, but what if that was just luck? What about next time? What is there _wasn't_ a next time? As soon as this thought crossed his mind, he realized he had to do something to prevent that horrible scenario from playing out. It was now or never, and he wasn't going to let Robin go so easily.

"Will I see you again?" Inigo asked suddenly.

Robin considered it seriously for a moment. It was plain to see how much Inigo liked her. In fact, it was almost scary how much he worshipped her, but she knew his intentions were innocent. Looking at the hopefulness in his eyes, she slowly felt her hesitation melting away. Especially after what his mother had said, Robin felt herself becoming attached to him.

Her next words were the greatest Inigo ever heard in his life up until that point. "Why not?" She smiled at him and he felt as if he could fly. That was all he needed to hear. Her confirmation of a next time held so much promise for the future. After all, why not? The sky was the limit!

Robin looked to Inigo's mother. "If that's alright with you," she said.

"Of course," Olivia said. Glancing down at her son, she saw the adoration in his eyes as he looked at Robin. With a small smile, she said, "In fact, I think I've got the perfect solution."

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_Next chapter: Inigo goes on a date with Robin (not really). Side special – Inigo's father is revealed! Bonus points and a slice of bear meat for everyone that correctly guesses who that is – leave a review!_


End file.
